Outdoor power equipment units such as lawn mowers and the like are known to include prime movers, e.g., internal combustion engines. These mowers and their associated engines may require periodic maintenance to ensure optimal performance.
For instance, induction of relatively clean air (e.g., into a carburetor of the engine) is beneficial to ensure efficient combustion. To provide this clean air, the engine typically includes a filtering element or air cleaner positioned in line with an air intake of the engine. The air cleaner is able to filter debris that would otherwise degrade engine performance and/or potentially damage engine components were it to pass into the carburetor.
Air cleaners are typically intended to be cleaned and/or replaced after some usage period. Unfortunately, removal/replacement of air cleaners in many engines presents drawbacks. For instance, air cleaners are often secured by a cover fastened to the engine. Some level of caution is needed to ensure that the cover and fastener(s) are not lost during air cleaner replacement. Further, care is needed to ensure that debris that may have gathered on or around the air cleaner does not fall into the carburetor air intake when the air cleaner is removed.
Most engine manufacturers also recommend changing of oil after a specified period of operation. Changing the oil often requires removing a drain plug from a drain on the engine and positioning a collection device (e.g., funnel or can) to collect the draining oil. Depending on the location of the drain, the process of reaching the drain with the collection device and/or collecting the used motor oil may result in spillage onto other parts of the mower and/or the ground. Furthermore, caution is needed to ensure that the drain plug is not lost.